Happy Thanksgiving!!

It was a great week this past week. Started off great with a nice Thanksgiving celebration mainly the McFaddens, we helped with a broccoli salad and ice cream dessert and the sisters with a fruit salad. It was great, even if it was chicken instead of turkey, great mashed potatoes, stuffing, rolls, and wonderful company. Thank you so much Elder and Sora McFadden for your cooking abilities and hospitality. I do appreciate it so much. One of my most memorable Thanksgivings ever. Although last year was pretty dang exciting on a train from Brasov to Bucuresti for my first Zone Conference. I can't decide which one was the best...Then Monday night we had a goodbye good lesson with our baptismal candidate, Ghita. Elder Schanck told them he was leaving that next night and they were both really sad. I loved all of our crazy lessons we had at their house, at the church, with Cristi (a 6 year old) running around everywhere. It was a good lesson. Then we had a last Distict Meeting. District 9. Me, Elder Schanck, Sora Moulton, and Sora Hickman and the McFaddens. Then we packed up. Called investigators and visited one member before leaving Tuesday night. We had plenty of time to find our seats on the train. But the sisters, oh my goodness! They almost missed the train. I tried calling them and it seemed like 5 other people were also calling them at the same time and they barely made it. Then at the first stop they got off and moved over to the right wagon. It was pretty intense. Brings back some great memories. I hate missing trains! haha Fun times with every single one of my companions (not in Bucuresti) but while we were in Brasov. Timisoara. And here in Arad and then when we took trains for exchanges. Every one is different and I just don't want to miss a train. That's that. haha Moving on. Wednesday. All day in Bucuresti. After 3 months of missing it! Got to visit Sora Gorzo and we had a meal there. The office Elders didn't do visa work because they mis-scheduled times for the incoming sisters. Plus the sisters plane was delayed coming into the country. Might never get my visa...we'll see. Fun time talking to all the new elders around the mission that I don't know at all. And seeing friends and former companions. I haven't seen Elder Bateman forever. He came and left and never got to see him. Nearly all the people in my MTC I didn't see because they stayed in their city for another transfer. Just saw Elder Pettit and Elder James. But it was good. Got some mail, supplies, and a package from Taryn. Thank you. :D Then Wednesday night, back to Arad with my new companion, Elder Olson, from Holiday, UT just like Elder Newton and they actually knew one another before the mission and Elder Newton is just a little younger than him in the mission. By a little bit. Then Thursday, Happy Thanksgiving! It snowed the first time here in Arad! YAY! Super cold and freezing. Visited Ghita that night and Friday night. And we had his baptism on Saturday! Friday night, we tried to fill up the basin with regular water, let it sit and warm up to room tempature, then Saturday morning we would have come and filled it up with hot water so it would have been at least a little warm for the baptism. But Friday night, soon after starting we found some leaks! AH! And so we just drained it and left a little water in it over night. Then Saturday morning, went and bought some duct tape...which in the end would really do nothing, but that's ok. Went to the church about 4.5 hours before the baptism. And taped it up as we could. And then started filling it up. And in the end it wasn't too bad. Just lukewarm and perfect! And everything was all ready to go by 3 o clock. Just a few other problems that kinda worried me. Our baptismal candidate Ghita, was late!!!!!!!!! Luckily he was close and on his way. He arrived about 3:05 and also At 3 o clock at the time we were supposed to start only the 6 missionaries were there. And the Branch President, his wife, and their granddaughter who is a member. Then it seemed right as Ghita arrived about 15 other members all came in and it was a good turnout of members and even their relatives, not really investigators, but nonmembers also came. Yay! The ceremony went smoothly and all was well. It was a great baptism. I am so happy for Ghita and his wife (who was baptized earlier this year). They are going to be so great for the branch. They need that support and love from them. Then yesterday at church, he received the Holy Ghost from the Branch President, Banatean and other men were in the circle, me included and it was a great feeling, when we gave him the Holy Ghost. It is amazing to see the change in his character and even his life, since when we first met out in the foyer of church after a Sacrament meeting. Some weeks he would come to church even when his wife wouldn't come. He is a great guy and I love him. He'll be a great member. 

It was a great week for me. There are lots more waiting for me so I should be going now. I love this work so much. And I love the change it brings in peoples' lives. All for the better. The Gospel is such an amazing thing. Study it and learn about it and it'll make you a better person too. I know it's true. I love you all.

Work.